Pentax K20D experience

If you liked the K10D you will love this camera, Pentax are at last getting things right, well almost.

The auto white balance is much improved even in warm lighting and the exposure seems much more accurate but beware this camera will blow highlights. Noise in RAW images, is different to what I have been used to with other Pentax DSLR’s. Excellent at ISO100 but very visible at ISO200 so you expect it to be unusable at ISO1600 / 3200 but it is not, it is very good. The new in camera noise reduction for JPG images seems to work very well.

Focus accuracy seems much better and the ability to be able to adjust for DA lens is great but needs to be done with care.

Is this the first Pentax DSLR that will produce great JPG images straight from the box?

(Very) Highly Recommended ! It is a great camera.

Here you can see Pentax K20D video reviews: http://www.infoborder.com/Digital_Cameras/Video/PentaxK20D.php


Problems:

Focusing accuracy still affected by light temperature.

The Expand Dynamic Range function as far as I can tell only works in JPG where it gives up to one stop of protection from burning highlights.

Like the K10 when it was first introduced, there is an error in DNG files that cause Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom to indicate inaccurate image colour temperature. With DNG files this makes the use of the standard Lightroom settings for daylight etc, unusable and it displays incorrect value for green / magenta tint. PEF files are not affected.

I think Pentax have been doing a great job for some time, Pentax UK on premoting, now that was a different thing...

This is the nature of digital, it will always have a small dynamic range and thus have a tendency to blow highlights or loose shadod details - slightly under expose to get round this or use HDR!

Try a DA* lens on the K10D! It is great, fast and spot on.

No it is not, the K10D does too!

I have both the K10D and the K20D, and whatever works for the K20D (apart from high ISO and file size) does work just about the same on the K10D. The autofocus and white balance have improved a little bit, but it is basically the same. I love my K10D, and my K20D so far seems in the same league (with the aforementioned improvements). As far as I'm concerned, the K10D was not a dud, as your comments seem to imply.